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“nowHERE: Finding Our Way in the 21st Century”

11/07/13

The Ringling celebrates and explores contemporary performance this winter arts season with “now HERE: Finding Our Way in the 21st Century.”

Framed by the sun’s 92-day journey from the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21 to the Vernal Equinox on March 22, “now HERE” offers the opportunity to interact with almost 100 living artists in 17 different performances and exhibitions.

“Contemporary art offers perspectives on the complex modern world.” Steven High, executive director of The Ringling says. “nowHERE is a play on words meant to suggest that the answers are now and here for those willing to try something new and experience the work of these brilliant artists.”

Celebrate the Winter Solstice and take a break from the stress of the holiday season during “Greet the Light” from 7-11 p.m. on Dec. 21, 2013 in the courtyard of The Ringling Museum of Art. Enjoy live music by DJ Imminent and food and drinks available for purchase. Tickets are on sale through The Ringling’s ticket office for $15 with a discount of $10 for Ringling members /college students with a valid id. To purchase tickets call 941.360.7399 or visit ringling.org.

R. Luke DuBois seeks to turn big data into art. The 21st century artist combines film making, computer data and original music into his works. “R. Luke DuBois- Now” will be thefirst solo gallery exhibition for the “new media artist,” and it will feature the debut of a video work that highlights Sarasota’s circus legacy. The exhibition will run Jan. 31-May 4 in the galleries of The Ringling Museum of Art’s Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing.

“R. Luke DuBois Now”will include a series of gallery performances by new media artists.

The first gallery performance will feature Lesley Flanigan on Feb. 27. The “Bioluminescence,” performance features Flanigan’s voice remixed by DuBois in visual and audio presentation.

Violinist Todd Reynolds will join DuBois for “Moments of Inertia” on April 17. The piece was written for amplified violin and includes video. Reynolds will also play selections from more than a decade of collaborating with DuBois.

Composer Bora Yoon and Dubois will present “Phonation” on May 1. “Phonation” features a multi-instrumental performance by Yoon combined with camera-based projections by DuBois.

The exhibition gallery performances start at 6:30 p.m. and are free for members and with admission to Art After Five. Art After Five costs $10 for adults and $5 for children 6-17.

Gain insight on the contemporary during a series of conversations and performances meant to provide clarity on “nowHERE’s” extensive offerings during “Explorations of the Contemporary, Conversation on Process” series of talks at 7 p.m. in the Historic Asolo Theater.

Matthew McLendon, curator of modern and contemporary art and Dwight Currie, curator of performance arts will preview nowHERE on Jan. 16.

Visual artist Fay Ku will discuss the language, science and narrative behind her visual works during “Inside the Artist mind of Fay Ku” on Feb. 13.

Film maker and film historian Bill Morrison will use archival footage of forgotten images to create a presentation that explores collective myth during “Unbearably Beautiful Decomposition of Film” on March 13.

Tickets to Explorations of the Contemporary are free for members and with Museum admission, all others are $5 To purchase tickets call 941.360.7399 or visit ringling.org.

The three-part “Collecting Recollections- Sarasota on the Edge” series records an oral history of Sarasota’s cultural past at 10:30 a.m. in the Historic Asolo Theater.

“Annie Solomon Remembers a Colony of Artists” will tell the stories of Syd Solomon, the first contemporary artist to have his work exhibited and collected by The Ringling and of the Sarasota Artist Colony that formed after the Solomons moved to the area in 1946. Annie will speak on Feb. 11.

“Elizabeth Lindsay Remembers” gathers the memories of a community leader who witnessed Sarasota’s evolution from a tiny arts community to a thriving cultural center. This discussion will occur on Feb. 25

“Remembering Chick Austin” explores the career of the first executive director of The Ringling. Eugene R. Gaddis, author of “Magician of the Modern: Chick Austin and the Transformation of Arts in America” will speak on March 11.

Attendees to the series will have the opportunity to ask questions. Tickets for the “Collecting Recollections” series cost $5, but are free for Members or with Museum admission.

The five-part “New Stages” series features a mix of contemporary musical and dance performances.

Share an evening with Meklit Hadero, a cabaret singer know for her blend of jazz, soul and folk music, who previously performed at the Ringling International Arts Festival in 2011. The Ethiopian-born singer produces a “cradling, sensuous and gentle sound” according to her adopted hometown’s San Francisco Chronicle. Named a TED Global Fellow in 2009, Hadero has been featured on NPR, PBS and National Geographic. Hadero performs at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23-25 in the Historic Asolo Theater.

Explore the relationship between the individual and the flock during Lostwax Multimedia Dance’s “Particular.” “Particular” blends ballet, hip-hop, jazz and modern dance with computer graphic projections produced by R. Luke DuBois. Performances will start at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 6-8 in the Historic Asolo Theater.

As a child, Robert Mirabal took part in the Pueblo ritual of “running to the sun” as it rose.The spiritual ritual a part of the culture of the traditional Pueblo community in Taos, N.M. that he grew up in, and it inspired him to write “Music of the Sun,” a collaboration with the string quartet Ethel. The program includes original compositions by Mirabal and arrangements of ancient Native American music performed by the quartet and accompanied by Native American flute and percussion. Performances will occur at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20-22 and at an extra show at 2 p.m. on Feb. 22 in the Historical Asolo Theater.

To create “No Hero,” director Alex Ketley filmed a series of discussions with people in rural communities in the western United States about their relationship to dance. The performance includes a video presentation of Ketley’s journey combined with a live dance performance. The Foundry willperform“No Hero” at 7:30 p.m. March 6-8 in the Historic Asolo Theater.

“nowHERE” and “New Stages” will conclude with “Inuksuit” an immersive musical work for up to 99 percussionists playing on instruments including drums, maracas, gongs, sirens, air horns and conch shells. The performance heightens the audience’s awareness of the sights and sounds in everyday life.

With a title inspired by a word that means stone landmark in the language of native Arctic people, composer John Luther Adams created a work meant to be played outdoors. The “Inkusuit” performance is the centerpiece of “Celebrate the Light” in the Courtyard of the Museum of Art at 6:30 p.m. on March 22.

Tickets for these performances cost $30 with a discounted price of $25 for members and $10 for college students with a valid ID. Save 10 percent by purchasing the entire 5-part series for $135 with a discounted price of $112.50 for member and $45 for students. To purchase tickets call 941.360.7399 or visit ringling.org.

“nowHERE” is a part of The Ringling’s 2013-14 “Art of Our Time” season, supported in part by a grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.